


The Deep End

by EntameWitchLulu



Series: Arc V Rare Pair Week 2019 [2]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Summer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-06-25 01:34:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19735699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EntameWitchLulu/pseuds/EntameWitchLulu
Summary: It's supposed to be a fun day at the beach, but Sora's got a secret that he's not ready to let anyone know about just yet.





	The Deep End

Sora shot another bottle rocket at Kurosaki. He didn’t  _ aim _ it right at him, of course, that would be  _ dangerous _ — just pointed it right at him, before shooting it off far to his side. Just enough to make him swear and jump, and have a murderous look cross his face as he charged Sora across the sand. Sora was always, always faster, though, giggling as he bolted off down the beach until he found a suitable person to hide behind, usually Yuya or Yuzu, who would find a way to talk Kurosaki down from murder.

This time, however, Yuya and Yuzu were up to their shoulders in the ocean, splashing each other in the face and giggling. There weren’t many other suitable targets, either — Yoko and Yusho had gone back up to the cabin to get the barbeque ready. Dennis and Sawatari were busy trying to outdo each other waving sparklers around in the air and would more than likely whap Sora in the face if he got too close — and both of them weren’t likely to stick up for him, even if Dennis would sell him out only for the sheer entertainment value of watching them fight. Reiji had a baby Reira in his arms, and he was a wild card anyway on whose side he would take, so he was also out of the question. And Gongenzaka was in the water with Yuya and Yuzu, so again — out of reach.

So, there was only one real path to take — Sora bolted off down the darkening beach, running alongside the surf and splashing in his bare feet through the softly lapping waves where they rolled up onto the sand. 

Kurosaki was about as fit as Sora was, but Sora had the advantage of less wind resistance. So by the time he began scrabbling up a rocky ledge on one side of the beach, Kurosaki was already far behind him, almost lost in the dark.

“Getting a little winded, old man?” Sora shouted over his shoulder while he clambered up onto the rocks.

“Shiunin, you’d better hope to  _ god _ I don’t catch you —”

Sora couldn’t help but shriek with giggles, and he pulled himself up and over the steeper and steeper rocks. When he got to the top of the ledge, he looked down and found that Kurosaki wasn’t following. He snickered to himself. Wimp.

With nothing better to do, and now a little curious about how far this part of the beach went — plus, he needed to make sure Kurosaki gave up waiting for him, so he’d have a clear shot back to the barbeque and the safety of hiding behind Yoko — he decided to climb down on the other side of the ledge.

The rocks were a little rough on his feet, but it was nothing for the kind of training he’d done. He scrambled down on the other side, landing gently on soft sand once again, and turning around.

Ooh. Wow.

Sora stared, his giggles stolen away by the awe at the little cove he’d found. It was like something out of one of those animated movies that Yuya liked to watch. The rocky cliffs weren’t too tall on either side, maybe only about two of him standing on top of his shoulders, but just tall enough to make this little half circle feel kind of private. The semi-circle of soft sand was dotted with a few big rocks here and there, and one small tide pool. It was almost too dark to see in when he wandered over, but there was a starfish inside. He reached into the pool to poke at it experimentally, and it curled up.

Splashing caught his attention, and he shot up to his feet. Oh, crap — he hadn’t considered the possibility that Kurosaki might just swim around — 

But it wasn’t Kurosaki who rose up out of the water, dripping so that the rising moonlight caught and sparkled over his skin.

Sora was suddenly very glad that it was dark, because Tsukikage was in only his swim trunks, and the way the water and moonlight outlined his abs was enough to bring a blush to Sora’s cheeks.

Tsukikage pushed the hair back from his face, smoothing the loose, wet dark strands back down his neck. He blinked, lips parting when he saw Sora. Then a faint smile came to his lips, and Sora blushed harder.

“I didn’t know anyone had found this spot yet,” he said.

“I didn’t know where you’d gone,” Sora said. “I mean. I didn’t know you were here. I wasn’t trying to find you. Not that I didn’t care where you were. I mean. Ugh.”

He ground the heels of his palms into his forehead. Stupid, stupid tongue! Why was he not speaking right?? How hard was it to talk??

Tsukikage only smiled in that quiet way of his, without any teasing. He squeezed out his hair back into the ocean, standing ankle deep. Sora tried not to look at him. It was making his brain feel stupid.

“Why are you out here by yourself?” Tsukikage asked then, splashing out of the water and up onto the sand near Sora.

“Hiding from Kurosaki.”

“Did you antagonize him again?”

“Only a liiiittle.”

Tsukikage let out a little laugh, so soft and quiet that it might have been mistaken for the surf rolling in.

“What are you doing out here by yourself?” Sora shot back then, feeling his cheeks burn red. He was  _ so _ glad it was dark. The only light came from the moon, glittering over the water where it hung low, almost touching the horizon.

Tsukikage shrugged. He lowered himself onto the sand, sitting facing the water and the moon. After a beat, Sora sat down next to him — but not too close. He tugged on the collar of his t-shirt, trying to waft away some of the heat. It was actually getting cool out, but tell that to his hot face.

After a long enough time that Sora began to think the shrug was the answer to his question, Tsukikage finally answered.

“Sometimes...the noise is too much,” he said, nodding his head in the direction of the distant sound of small fireworks. “I greatly appreciate our comradery and the peace we find ourselves in, but...sometimes I find myself in need of a retreat.”

Sora looked down at his knees. He nodded after a minute. Yeah, that seemedlike a Tsukikage thing to need.

“I don’t really get ya,” he said, flopping with his back into the sand, arms splayed out over his head. “I like all the noise. But you do you.”

Tsukikage chuckled again. Sora’s treacherous cheeks weren’t getting any cooler. Dammit. He huffed and stared up at the dark, starry sky. Out here, you could see all of the stars — not at all like the distant twinkle from the city. It was sort of nice.

For a long moment, the two of them just sat there. The silence stretched on and on, with nothing but the sound of the ocean waves lapping softly at the sand to break it. Sora began to fidget and twitch. He tapped his toes against the sand, digging them in and out while he stretched his fingers. 

He sat up and leaned his face forward into his hands, elbows digging into his thighs. He felt kind of itchy. And the more he stared at the water, the more... _ nervous  _ he was getting. Like, the rocks weren’t that high and he knew he could climb them. But suddenly things felt very claustrophobic. His chest got tight, and he tried to breathe normally so that Tsukikage wouldn’t notice.

Tsukikage let out a sigh, standing up with his usual silent grace. 

“Well, it’s getting dark,” he said. “We should likely find our way back before the others begin to worry.”

“Oh, yeah,” Sora said, stirring from his nerves. His stomach grumbled, and he grinned. “I can’t wait to try barbeque.”

Tsukikage smiled. He extended a hand to Sora, and after a brief hesitation, biting his lip, Sora took it. He let Tsukikage help him up to his feet, even though he totally didn’t need the help. Tsukikage didn’t let go of his hand, and Sora didn’t either.

He  _ did _ however, let go immediately when Tsukikage started to walk into the surf. Tsukikage tilted his head curiously, turning back to Sora.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Um,” Sora said, glancing back at the rocks. “I’ll just climb over. I’ll meet you there.”

But Tsukikage frowned. His brow furrowed and his lips parted. 

“Sora,” he asked. “Can...are you not able to swim?”

Sora’s entire face all the way to his neck grew warm. He folded his arms and looked away, trying to come up with some kind of witty retort, but...nothing came. Tsukikage only waited, quietly, and Sora couldn’t bring himself to look at him.

Finally, he let out a loud burst of a sigh, and threw his hands in the air.

“No!” he said. “Okay, no! I can’t swim.”

He flushed furiously, blinking back annoyed tears. He’d been trying  _ all day _ to hide the fact from everyone — and all day, he’d managed, somehow, to dodge the question even being thought of. The last thing he wanted was for  _ Kurosaki _ to find out that he was easy to drown. Or for Yuya and Yuzu to try and fall all over themselves to teach him how, instead of enjoying their day. He didn’t  _ need _ to go into the water to have a good time at the beach, after all.

After a beat, Tsukikage stepped out of the water.

“I’m sorry,” he said, and Sora blinked, looking at him. “I shouldn’t have assumed. We can go over the rocks.”

Sora stared at him, open mouthed. Then he crossed his arms.

“Aren’t you even going to ask why I can’t swim?” he asked.

Tsukikage only blinked at him.

“Wouldn’t the answer be, you never learned how?”

Sora rolled his eyes, but somehow, that was a funny response. He snorted. A grin split over his face — he quickly tried to force it back down.

“I thought you’d be surprised,” he grumbled. “I mean. You’d think that a good soldier like me would be able to  _ swim _ , right?”

Tsukikage tilted his head, but he only waited a moment, without saying anything. Sora melted. His shoulders slumped and his arms fell to his sides. Tsukikage never  _ pushed. _ He never made Sora say or admit to anything he didn’t want to.

“They specifically didn’t teach us how to swim at Academia,” he said. “Because — we’re on an island.”

Tsukikage only frowned at that.

“Wouldn’t it make more sense to teach you in that case?” he said. “Unless...”

It seemed to dawn on him, his lips parting and eyes widening. Then his face softened, and he reached for Sora’s hand. Sora didn’t need comfort, of course. But he let Tsukikage take it anyway.

“Wasn’t like they were sending us to places with lots of water for the invasion,” he mumbled. “And it’s easier to keep track of everyone on an island when you know they can’t leave.”

Tsukikage squeezed Sora’s hand. For a moment, they just stood there a moment, quiet. And for the first time, the quiet felt all right. Sora was...enjoying it. He swallowed.

“Actually,” he mumbled. “Can I tell you a secret?”

“Of course.”

Sora stepped closer to Tsukikage.

“I’m...I’m scared of it,” he mumbled. “I’m scared of going in the water.”

He flushed all the way to his ears.

“You can’t tell anyone — especially not Kurosaki! Okay??”

He looked up furiously at Tsukikage. But Tsukikage’s eyes had only crinkled slightly at the sides, with his barely perceptible smile — even without his mask, his face was quiet.

“I won’t tell a soul,” he said.

He glanced back at the water, then, and then to Sora. He took Sora’s other hand in his.

“You don’t have to,” he said. “But do you want to try?”

Sora looked at the water over Tsukikage’s shoulder. A brief buzz of nerves came over him. What if he couldn’t reach the bottom? What if he fell beneath it, and he couldn’t breathe? What if he...

“You don’t have to,” Tsukikage said again.

But Sora swallowed thickly. He gripped to Tsukikage’s hands.

“You can’t let go of me,” he ordered.

Tsukikage’s smile broadened a bit. But he nodded. Slowly, one step at a time, he backed into the water. Sora’s toes slipped into the surf. Then his ankles. He tried to focus on Tsukikage’s hands laced into his. He swallowed thickly.

He was up to his knees, now, and it was cool around his legs. To the hem of his trunks. Up to his waist.

“I can’t do it!”

Sora gasped, starting to scramble back. He almost let go of Tsukikage’s hands — but Tsukikage held fast, not to keep him in the water, but supporting him as they walked back onto the sand. Sora’s heart raced in his throat, and he couldn’t breathe for a moment. He shook like a leaf, and without a word, Tsukikage embraced him, holding him lightly.

“It’s all right,” he whispered. “It’s all right.”

Sora gasped for thin, whistling threads of air. He pressed his face into Tsukikage’s chest, feeling cold against the parts of his body that were still wet.

“That was good,” Tsukikage said. “You got very far.”

“But I choked,” Sora said. Now that his panic was subsiding, anger at himself bubbled in his chest. “I freaked out!! That’s so dumb. It wasn’t even past my chest.”

Tsukikage only patted his hair softly.

“No, Sora. You took a large step.”

“And then a bigger one back.”

Tsukikage shook his head.

“Not at all. You decided to try. Deciding you weren’t ready isn’t a step back. It’s a better understanding of yourself.”

Sora sniffled. He slid his arms around Tsukikage and held him tightly.

“Is that some mysterious ninja wisdom they teach you in ninja school?”

Tsukikage chuckled.

“It might be,” he said.

They stood there for a long moment, then. Sora’s heart slowed. He could hear Tsukikage’s own steady heartbeat in his ear. It was...calming. 

A moment more, and he sighed. He stepped away from Tsukikage’s grip. He glanced once again at the ocean, at the glimmering strips of silver that painted the ocean waves.

“I...I’ll try again,” he said. “But...not tonight.”

Tsukikage nodded. He held out a hand to Sora, and Sora took it.

“I’ll be there with you when you want to.”

Sora squeezed Tsukikage’s hand. Tsukikage didn’t let go. And Sora smiled.


End file.
